The present invention relates to water containing fullerenes. It relates to a method for producing water containing fullerenes floating, which comprise 60 carbon atoms forming a spheroidal structure, and an apparatus for producing the same, and healthy drinking water obtained from the same.
Since long ago, charcoal and carbon have been of use in various ways in various fields, and found useful particularly for deodorization and preservation from decay, etc. Carbon""s effects on the human body in health and medical treatment have also been recognized. Coping with recent social trends in health consciousness, use of carbon for health-related aspects is seen in a new light. Bicho-charcoal and bamboo charcoal are sold and used for water quality improvement and cooking, and charcoal and carbon are increasingly attracting attention.
In fields of using charcoal and carbon materials, a new material called xe2x80x9cfullerenexe2x80x9d was discovered more than ten years ago and was recognized as the third crystallization following diamond and graphite. In 1990, German and US joint research successfully isolated fullerenes from soot produced under special conditions. Since it was reported that a potassium-metal-doped fullerene film exhibited superconductivity at the critical temperature of 18K, fullerene research has accelerated at a stretch. Due to good prospects for mass production methods for isolating fullerenes and physical properties exhibited by fullerenes, it attracts researchers"" curiosities in both basic and applied disciplines still more. If fullerene research and technological development should advance to health-related fields, a Nobel prize will be awarded for such achievements (K. Tanigaki, K. Kikuchi, Y. Ajiha, and K. Iriyama. Fullerene. Sangyo-tosho Co. Ltd., October 1992, xvii.)
Typically, a fullerene comprises 60 carbon atoms forming a spheroidal structure. It is a carbon molecule with a structure of a soccer-ball like pattern combining pentagons and hexagons. It is a physically and chemically stable molecule and is known to have physical properties shown in FIG. 4 (op. cit. p.16).
Synthesis of a fullerene by a chemical reaction has not been reported. As described above, producing fullerene by physical methods has become possible. A typical production method is that: graphite is vaporized by arc discharge or laser beam irradiation to generate carbon vapor, the carbon vapor is cooled down to form soot, and a fullerene is generated in soot. Fullerene obtained by these methods has a soccer-ball like structure of 60 carbon atoms forming a spheroidal structure as shown in FIG. 3. This structure is considered to form as follows: Graphite is isolated from impurities; A five-hexagon structure changes to a morning-glory-flower-shape like structure; Carbon atoms are rearranged to approach a spherical shape and changes to a soccer-ball shape, which is energy-wise a stable structure. Fullerene generated in soot is isolated and refined by dissolving it in a solution using a refining method such as a column liquid chromatography method, etc.
The soccer-ball like structure of fullerene has been confirmed by a C60 peak by a mass spectrum, crystal structure analysis by an X-ray, and a 13C-NMR spectrum, an infrared absorption spectrum, etc.
Thus, as production and refining methods for fullerene have been established and its physical and chemical properties have become clear, it attracts attention as a new next-generation functionality material and its serviceable use in various fields begins developing. Technologies for using fullerene are being developed: for example, in the electronics field it is used as a superconductive material, a semiconductor material or a material with strong magnetism; in the physical material field as a non-linear optical material, a catalyst, etc.; in the mechanical material field, as micro lubricant, a buffer agent, etc. Furthermore, use of fullerene for bioactive materials, food materials or medicines is also being proposed.
Additionally, although its details are not clear, it is reported that development of a new structural material including metal atoms such as K or La inside a spheroidal structure also attracted interests.
It is usual that a number of patent applications are reported as a new material technology develops. Fullerene is no exception to this rule. A wide range of patent information from improvement of methods for producing and refining fullerene to using it in the electronics, physical material or mechanical material fields has been laid open. Almost no patent journal information on use of fullerene for bioactive materials, food materials or medicines has been laid open. If seeing a few technologies laid open until now in these fields, technologies which have been reported include: method for preserving the high degree of freshness and quality by infiltrating an ultrafine particle carbon composition solution containing fullerenes into food such as grain reported in the Japanese Patent Laid-open No.10-45408 journal, method for inactivating a virus by oxygen in a singlet state where fullerenes are activated and by applying rays reported in the Japanese Patent Laid-open No.9-322767 journal, cosmetic for sunburn care containing fullerenes dissolved in its oil ingredient, whose color is inconspicuous when applied and which is excellent in sunburn protection reported in the Japanese Patent Laid-open No.9-278825 journal, etc.
Application of fullerene to bioactive materials, food materials or medicines is extremely important as technological development directly related to daily life and the scope of use is expected to expand. In the medical field, research on fullerene as a substance to enhance immunity effects of a living body is being conducted for cancer treatment purpose, etc. For example, if fullerene with fixed molecular weight is given to a leukocyte, production of an immune substance is stimulated. Because fullerene is made of carbon in its entirety, its destruction speed in the body system is remarkably slow, which makes it possible to be absorbed into the intestinal tract in the unit of nm, which is different in size from regular charcoal.
As described above, expansion of fullerene""s application to bioactive materials, food materials or medicines is greatly hoped for. The present invention aims to solve the above-mentioned problem with the object of making the best use of this apparently unlimited serviceability of fullerene particularly in the fields of bioactive materials, food materials or medicines.
Having come to discover that using water containing fullerenes for drinking can improve the condition of health, for example, improving bioactive functions, the inventors of the present invention completed the present invention.
A problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a method for efficiently producing water containing fullerenes, which contributes to improvement of health conditions, and an apparatus for producing the same.
In other words, the present invention aims to contribute to technological development of fullerene and expansion of its applications by solving the above-mentioned problem. It has developed a new method for producing water containing fullerenes and an apparatus for producing the same, and healthy drinking water utilizing the newly developed water containing fullerenes.
In the present invention, water containing fullerenes which include water molecules is referred to as xe2x80x9cwater containing fullerenesxe2x80x9d.
Fundamental characteristics of the present invention are to generate fullerenes which include water molecules and drinking water in which fullerenes are floating by producing fullerenes in high-pressure water. Specifically, the characteristics of the present invention are listed in (1) to (4) below.
A method for producing water containing fullerenes, which include water molecules and are floating in water, by burning a mixed gas of oxygen and hydrogen in high-pressure water and burning a graphite bar with a combustion gas generated.
An apparatus for producing water containing fullerenes, which include water molecules and are floating in water. The apparatus possesses a tank holding high-pressure water, a jet nozzle for a mixed gas of oxygen and hydrogen, a graphite bar, an ignition system and a combustion chamber.
The apparatus for producing water containing fullerenes described in (2) above, which is characterized in that a mixed gas fuel of oxygen and hydrogen is provided by electrolyzing water.
Healthy drinking water obtained by purifying water containing fullerenes, which include water molecules and are floating in water.
The most important characteristic of the present invention is based on new knowledge that, unlike water containing fullerenes in which fullerenes simply are floating, the water containing fullerenes according to the present invention, in which fullerenes including water molecules are floating in water, and these water molecules included correlatively act with a fullerene structure to achieve a new and remarkable bioactive action.
In response to recent social trends in health consciousness, healthy drinking water produced according to the present invention by purifying water containing fullerenes, which include water molecules and are floating in water, is expected to become an epoch-making beverage sufficiently addressing requests for improvement of health. Although the reasons why fullerenes which include water molecules are efficacious to health and what kind of bioactive actions they possess are unknown at present, the present invention and others are diligently conducting research to clarify the mechanisms of fullerene efficacies.